The Seattle Seahawks head to Las Vegas with a chance to make life miserable for the Raiders as the Fernando Mendoza era begins. Mike Macdonald’s team is short-handed, with Sam Darnold among the notable absences, but this matchup still gives Seattle a real opening to control the day.
Klint Kubiak also gets a familiar challenge, going up against his former team with a rookie quarterback in the mix. He knows Mike Macdonald’s Dark Side defense better than most, but the Seahawks may still be asking a lot of the No. 1 pick.
If Seattle is going to come away with a surprise result, a few players could be at the center of it.
Josh Jones is one of them. With Charles Cross still working through a nagging ankle injury, Jones is expected to handle Drew Lock’s blind side, and that means dealing with Maxx Crosby.
It’s a brutal assignment for the veteran swing tackle, but he’s also an impending free agent, which gives him plenty to prove. A strong showing against one of football’s premium headhunters could go a long way toward boosting his value.
Jadarian Price is another name to watch. His season has been quiet so far, but the matchup is there for him to make noise.
The Raiders have allowed the third-most production to running backs this season, giving up 1,472 yards and 10 touchdowns. They’re also surrendering a league-worst 5.0 yards per carry and 151.2 rushing yards per game.
With Darnold out, Brian Fleury is expected to lean heavily on the ground game against a defense that hasn’t held up well there.
Drew Lock could also be in line for a cleaner afternoon than expected, even with an elbow injury in the picture. He played through it against the Arizona Cardinals, and Las Vegas has been vulnerable through the air, allowing a 103.6 passer rating and 20 passing touchdowns, the most in the league. Seattle may keep things conservative and lean on the run, but Lock’s connection with Jaxon Smith-Njigba has been a problem for opposing defenses.
On the other side of the ball, Drake Thomas looks set up for his easiest test of the season. The Raiders’ offensive line hasn’t been creating much push in the run game, and the results show it: just 2.9 yards per carry and 71.3 rushing yards per game.
Thomas, an elite gap shooter and run-stopper, should have a chance to disrupt Ashton Jeanty and force the Raiders away from the ground. If that happens, Mendoza will be asked to carry more of the load.
In Other News...
Seahawks Finally Got An Injury Sign Fans Needed To See
The latest injury report offered the kind of small but meaningful progress Seahawks fans have been waiting for, with Charles Cross back on the field in a limited capacity after missing time because of an ankle injury. It does not mean a return is imminent, but it does suggest the left tackle is moving in the right direction as Seattle comes out of the bye week and starts sorting out who will be available for the next stretch.
Jaxon Smith-Njigba also returned as a full participant after resting previously, and A.J. Barner was cleared off the report altogether, giving the Seahawks a cleaner look on offense than they had recently. There are still several names on the list in limited or non-participating status for injury or personal reasons, so the picture is far from complete, but the encouraging sign around Cross is the one that matters most for a team that has been waiting on stability up front. [Read more 🡒]
Seahawks Offense Is Pushing Mike Macdonald Toward A Tough Decision
Seattles offense has hit a rough patch at exactly the wrong time, with the scoring average sliding over recent games as injuries and general dysfunction have taken a toll. For a team still trying to position itself for a playoff run, the issues are piling up in familiar places: quarterback health, an offensive line that has struggled to stay cohesive, and a play-calling operation that has not found enough rhythm to steady things.
Mike Macdonald now has to weigh whether a change under center could help spark the unit, even as the broader problems around it remain very real. The Seahawks do not need a cosmetic fix so much as a workable answer, and the next stretch will say plenty about whether the staff can settle on one before the seasons margin for error gets any thinner. [Read more 🡒]
Seahawks Finally Addressed Their Biggest Problem But A New Concern Emerged
Seattle finally made the move that had been hanging over its season, landing offensive lineman Quenton Nelson from the Indianapolis Colts in a deal that sent a third-round pick and a fifth-round pick the other way before the NFL trade deadline. The addition was meant to give the Seahawks the kind of interior help they had been searching for, and the team wasted little time adjusting by moving Grey Zabel to right guard so Nelson could settle in at left guard.
Nelson made his debut in Week 8, but the early returns have been interrupted by a knee injury that is expected to keep him out for at least two games. So while the Seahawks still view the trade as an upgrade up front, the bigger question now is how long they will have to wait to see the line they envisioned when they made the deal. [Read more 🡒]